Adecco Outsourcing Helps Clients Stay Focused and Flexible

With Adecco Outsourcing, clients can derive the full benefits of an end-to-end highly customized solution designed to achieve business results for clients.

With over 5,200 branches and more than 700,000 employees in 60 countries worldwide, Adecco is a household name in the human resources industry.

But while Adecco is most well-known for its temporary staffing business, it provides more holistic solutions for businesses as well. Spencer Chang, director of outsourcing services at Adecco Taiwan, notes that many clients are surprised to learn of the wide range of services the company offers.

When a world-leading pharmaceutical group reached out to Adecco for support in increasing its revenue in Taiwan, Chang says it initially envisioned an expansion of its permanent sales staff. But after thorough discussions with the company’s Taiwan management team, Adecco found that with the limited resources on hand, such an expansion would not have the desired results.

“Our solution for them was an outsourced project where Adecco undertook not only the recruitment but also onboarding, training, and management of an additional fully functional sales force,” says Chang. “This helped the client from the get-go without affecting their bottom-line, and they ended up with an extra multimillion-dollar revenue-generating team at their disposal. This is only one of our many successes in Taiwan.”

Chang notes that today’s clients are not just looking to fulfill headcount targets, but are also considering potential liabilities, risks, and productivity issues, all areas in which Adecco can help companies improve. In many cases, outsourcing departments that are not part of a company’s core functions allows it to focus on its area of expertise while improving general outcomes. 

Outsourcing, notes Chang, is now instrumental in creating a flexible business environment for clients. “It’s no longer black or white; we have a rainbow of solutions to offer our clients, and they can pick and choose the elements they need,” he says.

While some clients approach Adecco looking to fill one or two temporary positions, others have more extensive needs for temporary staffing. Many companies initiate projects requiring full-time employees during a fixed period with limited resources and are reluctant to take on the risks and responsibilities associated with a sizeable temporary team.

To accommodate the full range of clients, Adecco offers both Business Process Outsourcing, which includes the provision of standard business functions, as well as Field Sales Marketing Outsourcing for clients with an extensive need for field sales staff.

“If you’re a beauty company wanting to place sales representatives in every major mall, or a pharmaceutical company with a large number of sales representatives, you might not want to carry that amount of payroll and capital,” Chang says. “By allowing us to train and manage their sales team, companies receive a managed service that more clearly demonstrates a return on their investment.” 

Meanwhile, for clients who do not have a human resources department, Adecco offers various solutions beyond simple recruitment.

“We have a team of experienced HR professionals and customer service representatives that can manage clients’ payroll administration, but we also do much more than that,” says Chang. “We can assist them with acquiring necessary permits and licenses, connecting with the right legal or government department, creating employee handbooks, and other HR governance.”

The increasing popularity of project contracts among employees means that Adecco’s talent pool for its outsourcing services is constantly growing. Flexible work is viewed as a unique opportunity, particularly among those who want to spend more time with their families. Additionally, many of Adecco’s multinational clients are highly competitive employers. By working for prominent brands on an Adecco payroll, employees gain experience and, often, a path to a permanent position in the company.

“A lot of the more ambitious new generation will see this as an opportunity rather than a risk,” says Chang. “20 or 30 years ago, I’d probably be asking myself whether this type of arrangement is stable enough. But we all know that stability depends on the work you put in. These days, having traditional employment does not guarantee stability.”

As for the future of outsourcing services in Taiwan, Chang says that the sky’s the limit. Due to the flexible nature of Adecco’s offerings, he is confident that companies operating in industries spanning service and sales to semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, and life sciences can all benefit from its services.

“I’m open to discussing how we can increase companies’ revenue for 2022 and beyond because, more than anything else, we work to help others realize their potential,” he says. “Since our work is solely focused on human capital, we are always one step ahead, working to enable others to get to where they need to be. That’s what I look forward to continue doing.”